# escape

Mike Thompson (shadowr@nando.net)
Wed, 10 Jan 1996 20:53:30 PST

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    Rich Connamacher wrote:
    >
    > This is dangerous.  The escape character can be used to remap characters
    > on the client's keyboard with commands.  For instance, if I had the
    > escape character and knew how to do it, I could remap your enter key with
    > the command rm -r /, so that every time you hit 'enter', the command rm
    > -r / would be executed with your permissions.  (For those non-UNIX bums out
    > there, rm -r / deletes everything on any drive connected to your
    > computer.  If you're root, that is.  Otherwise, it just creates a ton of
    > error messages and only deletes everything you own.)Other things that can/have been done are the ever popular format C: in DOS.
    You can figure out what that one does. :)  And 'del *.*' or deltree, whatever.

    >
    > It may be possible to do it with non-UNIX systems as well.  And not all
    > UNIX systems may have this hole, but it does exist as a standard, or so I
    > hear.
    > Any terminal that supports all of the ANSI standard will take key reassignments
    and in some cases you can change the screen mode with it to, besides doing a lot
    of things with the cursor.  Even if it's not dangerous a screen where the text is
    flashing bold purple on red kills your eyes.

    > And any programmer on a MOO can rewrite his or her :notify verb to catch
    > the escape character.  Again, only do it if you ***REALLY*** trust
    > everyone on the MOO, and never plan on opening up the MOO to people you
    > don't ***REALLY*** trust.No just make sure that only wizards can get to a raw escape.

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